Hemp-crusted tofu with cabbage

I was reading a book review for "Superfoods 24/7" on Cadry's Kitchen, and one of the recipes mentioned in the review was hemp-crusted tofu. I was immediately seized by a craving for hemp-crusted tofu. Perhaps not everyone would become obsessed with tofu coated in hemp seeds, but I just couldn't forget about it. Cadry mentioned that the tofu was marinated in apple cider vinegar and tamari, and that was all I needed.

 

I sliced some extra-firm, water-packed tofu and patted it dry with a towel. Had I more patience, I would have pressed the tofu, but I'm all about immediate gratification when I'm hungry and obsessed. I mixed a small amount of balsamic vinegar and tamari in a dish, dipped the tofu into it, then spread the tofu pieces on a cutting board. I sprinkled the pieces with hemp seeds and coated both sides. The seeds adhered easily. I heated my 8-inch cast iron griddle, added a little avocado oil, and set about browning the tofu.

 

While the tofu was cooking, I thinly shredded a generous quantity of green cabbage, the lone green veggie left in the refrigerator. After the second side of the tofu was done, I placed it to the side and heaped the cabbage onto the griddle. I covered the pan with my wok lid and let it steam for a minute or two. The bottom of the cabbage was browned and crispy and the rest was nicely wilted but still fresh-tasting. It was an excellent lunch. I wish I'd thought to grate a bit of fresh ginger into the cabbage and add some hot pepper flakes. Next time.

As it turns out, I just learned I won a copy of Superfoods 24/7 on Olives for Dinner and am excited to be able to make the actual recipe for hemp-crusted tofu, as well as the other recipes in the book, soon! How do you use hemp seeds, if you do?

Rolo vs. Yolo

We had eight people coming for dinner the day after we returned from a four-day getaway, and I really wasn't feeling like cooking. My husband said he would cook, and I planned to make a dessert, but I wasn't in the mood for cake or pie baking, either. I suggested we have a simple fruit salad for dessert, and my husband agreed. I just couldn't let it go, though. I always make dessert, and I needed a little something that would add a touch of fun to the fruit, without being too taxing. Not that fruit isn't fun and special, but you know what I mean.



I got out my Oh She Glows Cookbook to look for a recipe, and found one for homemade yolos. I didn't know what a Yolo was, but the recipe described a chocolate-covered caramel candy, and that was good enough for me. I never ate much candy growing up because, before I became enlightened, I didn't like chocolate, didn't like coconut, and didn't like nuts in things, which pretty much eliminated everything. The one thing I did like, though, was caramel. I would eat anything with caramel — even if it was covered in chocolate.



I made the yolos and they were GREAT! They tasted just like caramel, and everyone at the dinner loved them, especially the two kids. I found the recipe online for you so you can make them, too, in case you don't own Angela's cookbook.  On Angela Lidden's blog, she calls the candies Rolos instead of Yolos. (I do know what Rolos are.) In the cookbook, the quantity of dates is one cup, the coconut oil is 1/2 teaspoon, and the quantity of balls is 20, but everything else is the same. I didn't use the chia seeds or the toothpicks.

I'm going to give you a few suggestions for making yours come out better looking than mine. Maybe. I'm not very good at getting the coating smooth. Maybe you are better at it than I.

1. When you first freeze the date mixture, use a shallow bowl so all of the mix chills. Mine was packed into a small bowl and the date mixture in the center didn't get cold enough to make it easy to handle. 2. Make sure your date balls are perfectly smooth and round so the chocolate goes on smoothly. 3. Keep the melted chocolate warm over hot water so the chocolate stays thin enough to coat the balls easily. 4. Enjoy!

The recipe can be found on the Oh She Glows Blog. It is vegan and gluten-free. And fabulous!

Fauxmage vegan cheese — a new cultured nut cheese

Vegan cheeses seem to be multiplying like cat hairs on a couch — every time I go shopping there are new ones I haven't heard of. We were recently gifted with two flavors of Fauxmage, a brand new vegan cultured soft cheese being made right here in Seattle, by Brooke Young. Spreading the delicious cheese on crackers and munching away made me reflect on how much our access to vegan specialty foods has  changed since I first became vegan in 1981. We had things like dried beans, grains, tofu, and a couple of cookbooks in case we wanted to make special items like "cheese sauce" or seitan. I had a copy of "The Farm Cookbook" with a recipe for a cheesy sauce I used for pizza, enchiladas or lasagna. I also had a recipe for tofu cream cheese, that I made on occasion. In 1998, "The Uncheese Cookbook" was published, and more recipes became available.

Most of the time, though, we just enjoyed plant-based cooking that didn't try to replicate the animal foods we had left behind. I was never much of a processed-foods consumer, and since there were very few vegan fast foods accessible when I became vegan, I didn't get into the habit of using them regularly. Even now that so much is available, we don't depend much on packaged vegan foods, though we do sample them on occasion. However, I'm definitely happy to see all the current vegan foods at one's disposal to help new vegans and potential vegans transition to a plant-based diet. I know how hard it can be to let go of certain foods — especially cheese. Although it was more than 30 years ago, I vividly recollect my hallucination of pizza slices with extra, molten mozzarella, floating past my eyes at the moment I decided to stop consuming dairy. This is the truth, not a joke.



I know many vegans are fervently attached to one vegan cheese or another, but my husband and I have never been impressed enough in the past with any of them to make them more than a very occasional part of our diet. Many of the standard vegan cheeses are made from ingredients that, to me, don't seem worth eating, but now that the newest versions of cultured nut cheeses have appeared, we find ourselves splurging on one variety or another — usually Miyoko's Kitchen. (That is, if I don't make my own cashew cheese from one of Miyoko Schinner's recipes.) When Brooke offered sample containers of her new cheese, Fauxmage, we were curious, and happily agreed to try it. And we were impressed. It's amazing how some tastes and textures come flooding back no matter how long it's been since you've tasted them, and I think cheese is one of those items.

Here's what Brooke says about Fauxmage on her Web site:
"The future of food is here! All of our cheeses are 100% dairy free with real, live, active cultures and are healthier for people and the planet than traditional dairy products. Our cheese is raw, vegan, Paleo, as well as gluten-free and cholesterol-free. We make our cheeses by hand, in small batches, to ensure the highest quality. We don’t use any oils, gums, starches or thickeners, so with Fauxmage you get all cheese and no fillers. We source our spices from World Spice Merchants in the heart of Pike Place Market and grind them fresh for each batch."



We are enjoying both flavors, and I encourage you to give Fauxmage a try. The cheeses are spreadable and delicious, with subtle flavors in a creamy base — delectible! Good ingredients and good taste! Do you have a favorite vegan cheese?

(Ingredients, Herbes de Provence: cashews, herbes de provence, garlic, lemon juice, salt, cultures.

Ingredients, Rooster Spice: cashews, Mama Lil’s pickled peppers, spice blend, garlic, lemon juice, salt, cultures.) The Rooster Spice cheese has a spicy kick.


Hop over to the Fauxmage Web site to find out more about the cheese and where it can be purchased. 

(Photo of a Fauxmage advertising post card.)

One last little thought. I hate to be extra picky, but I have to point out the cheeses aren't organic, and there are a few ingredients that may be of concern if you worry about GMOs or pesticides. For example, the Rooster Spice contains Mama Lil's peppers in canola oil, which is possibly a GMO oil, and I don't usually buy peppers unless they're organic because they are such a heavily sprayed crop. I haven't asked Brooke about this yet so take my warning with a grain of salt. It may not be an issue, but I'm offering the information in case it is important to you.

UPDATE!!! 
The canola oil in the peppers (that flavor the cheese) is certified non-gmo. Also, Brooke has switched to organic cashews but must use up her old labels for financial reasons. It's too expensive for a small company to print all-new labels.